1. Field of the Invention
Aspects of the exemplary embodiments relate to a three-dimensional (3D) image display apparatus and a driving method thereof, and more particularly, to an auto-stereoscopic 3D image display apparatus and a driving method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the development of technologies, an image display apparatus capable of displaying a more vivid image is required. Accordingly, not only a high-resolution image display apparatus having the increased number of pixels for displaying an image but also a 3D image display apparatus displaying a stereoscopic image have been developed. Such a 3D image display apparatus may be applicable not only to television but also to various fields such as medical imaging, games, commercials, education, and military where a stereoscopic sense can be used very effectively.
A stereoscopic image is generally created by a principal of stereo visual angle of human eyes, and binocular parallax, caused by about a 65 mm lateral distance between a person's left eye and right eye, can be regarded as the main cause of the stereoscopic sense. Therefore, if an image which is the same as an actual image is input to the two eyes, a stereoscopic sense may be realized easily. For example, if two cameras having the same properties are placed spaced apart just like the two eyes and a left eye image photographed from a left camera can be perceived only by the left eye and a right eye image photographed from a right camera can be perceived only by the right eye, a stereoscopic sense may be realized.
Such a 3D image display apparatus using binocular parallax may be divided into two types: a 3D image display apparatus using an auto-stereoscopic method, and a 3D image display apparatus using a stereoscopic method. The auto-stereoscopic method which obtains a stereoscopic image by separating a left eye image and a right eye image without using glasses may include a parallax barrier method, a lenticular method, an integral imaging method and a holography method. The auto-stereoscopic method may include a polarized-glasses method and a shutter-glasses method.
FIGS. 1A and 1B are views for explaining prior art technologies.
According to FIGS. 1A and 1B, an auto-stereoscopic display apparatus according to the prior art lenticular method realizes a 3D image by causing a left eye and a right eye to perceive a different image using a space-division method.
That is, the prior art auto-stereoscopic display apparatus realizes images perceived by the left eye and the right eye separately, and refracts each image to have a specific angle using a lenticular lens so that the left eye image can be focused onto the left eye and the right eye image can be focused onto the right eye, thereby realizing a 3D image.
However, as an auto-stereoscopic 3D panel using the prior art lenticular lens realizes a left eye image and a right eye image separately, resolution of the images decreases by half. In addition, a portion where a lenticular image is focused is fixed and thus, a user may perceive a 3D image only at a specific location and angle.
Furthermore, the auto-stereoscopic 3D panel using the prior art lenticular lens refracts an image using a lenticular lens and thus, image quality may deteriorate if a 2D image is realized.